Beauty from Ashes at the Orphanage

Last Tuesday evening, I received a phone call.  Lauree was in Kinshasa for a short time to adopt a toddler and to do some volunteer work.  She and three other Christian ladies, all representing Our Family in Africa, were planning a visit to the orphanage in Kimbondo on the following morning. Did I want to accompany them?

So the following morning Daniel and I walked down to the commercial center in our neighborhood and found their interpreter waiting for us near the vehicle - a beat up taxi van.  There were two women in the back and two Congolese men in the front (the interpreter and the driver).  Quick introductions were made and then....I did something my mother taught me as a child to never do anywhere, much less in a third world country...I got into a van full of strangers and we headed off to Kimbondo.

We went on Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, and the orphanage is Catholic, so I didn't know if showing up unannounced on a holy day was a good idea or not.  My new friends had loaded down the back of the van and the back of another vehicle with gifts for the orphanage: clothing, medicine, food, baby formula, toys, and toiletries.  When we arrived I introduced them to Father Hugo and stood back to watch the magic.  Father Hugo's countenance changed with each bag and box that was unloaded from the vehicles and placed in front of the office.  He didn't have to say "thank you," because it was written all over his face, but he said it several times anyway.  He explained to us that it was the first day of Lent, the beginning of a season of sacrificial giving to God and spiritual reflection.  He did not believe it a coincidence that God had sent those supplies, so badly needed, on that particular day.  He was deeply touched.  Jules, the interpreter, summed it all up for all of us when he said he wanted to cry.

Father Hugo gave us a brief tour of the orphanage and the hospital.  The ladies had already visited a number of other orphanages in Kinshasa so I asked them how Kimbondo compared with those.  They said there is no comparison.  This orphanage, the largest they had seen thus far, was clean, for starters.  The kids were clean and well nourished.  They told me stories of the disheartening conditions they saw in the other orphanages.

After that, we got to play!  Some of that giant care package included balloons and bubbles, which we distributed to every kid we could find.  I'm not sure who had more fun, the kids or the adults.

Ashes symbolize mourning and grief.  In the case of Ash Wednesday, ashes are a tangible reminder of our own mortality and what is supposed to be happening within us: grief over our sins, leading to repentance and renewal.  Surrounded on Wednesday by all those beautiful smiles on the faces of the orphans, I was reminded of Isaiah 61:1-3,  

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor."

Pray for Father Hugo and his staff as they care for these kids, who are all too familiar with mourning, and proclaim the Good News to them.

I am so grateful to Lauree, Lynette, Darcy and Kim for allowing me to share their day with them.  In this hard place, it was a real balm to my soul and an encouragement to my spirit to see how their gifts touched Father Hugo and the children.  Thanks, ladies, for letting God use you to make a difference in Congo!

I Slept on a Popsicle

Popsicle - Orange Cherry Grape (Photo credit: frozenfoodjournal)

Last night I slept on a popsicle.  When we first arrived in Kinshasa, we were loaned furniture, appliances, cookware, etc. until our shipment arrived and we could afford to purchase our own things.  Last summer we finally acquired our own bed when a departing family was selling their water bed.  They told us when we bought it that we should keep a blanket between the mattress and the fitted sheet to avoid getting too cold.  Too cold?  We live in central Africa.  But, banking on the fact that they had more experience with waterbeds than we did, which was none, we followed their instructions.  Until yesterday.  I took the blanket off to wash and didn't get it dried before bedtime because the power was out.  So we just put the sheets on and went to bed, thinking that since the power was off it probably would be a blessing anyway if the mattress was a little on the cool side.  I started out cold as soon as my back hit the mattress, but when the power came back on sometime during the night and hubby jumped up and turned on the a/c, our bed became a popsicle.  (Yes, Marilyn, you told me so!)  It was like laying on a giant version of those squishy ice packs you keep in your freezer for when you injure yourself.  I ended up getting a pair of socks (I'd forgotten I even owned socks.) and another blanket so I could sleep on top of the covers and insulate myself.  David even got cold and turned off the a/c.

Not that I'm complaining.  Our old bed was hot and uncomfortable (see our bed story HERE).  And many people here in Kinshasa sleep on a mat on a dirt or concrete floor with no screens or mosquito nets.  I am very grateful.   But I have learned that when a good friend gives you advice, it is often worth heeding.

Speaking of good friends - several years ago we went to a New Year's Eve get together with some friends.  It was a sort of potluck, everyone bringing whatever they wanted to contribute to the gluttony of the evening.  My friend Amy brought pepperoni chicken, which immediately became a family favorite and we begged the recipe off her.   Pepperoni is a real treat here, hard to find and expensive, so this meal makes my family feel very much loved and a little less homesick.  Here's the recipe, with my Congo adaptations:

Pepperoni Chicken - serves 8

1 small package of ppperoni (or to taste)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or meat from 1kg chicken leg quarters)

1 package gemeli pasta (something curly like rotini or macaroni)

2 jars of spaghetti sauce (roughly six cups, I use more if I add extra chicken)

1 Tbs Parmesan cheese (Gruyere is a good substitute and cheaper in Congo)

2 Tbs oil

Dash of Italian seasoning

Dash of crushed red pepper

Mozzarella cheese (Just enough to spread over the top.  Gouda is a cheaper substitute and works OK)

Combine chicken, oil and Italian seasoning.  Marinate half an hour.  (I often forget to thaw my chicken in advance, then end up boiling it, leaving out the oil altogether, and just adding the Italian seasoning when I mix it all together.)  Brown chicken.  Meanwhile cook pasta.  Combine everything except the mozzarella and place in a greased casserole dish.  Top with mozzarella.  Bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes.

Although my driver is still out of town, I was able to visit the orphanage this week!  I'll tell you all about it in my next post.

Learning About Lent

Lent (Photo credit: Fr. Stephen, MSC)

Growing up, all I knew about Lent I learned from my Catholic friends who gave up things like bubble gum or soda for several weeks. None of the Baptist churches of my childhood taught or practiced Lent. Here in Congo, we attend an international Protestant church with people from all over the world representing multiple denominations. One result of this is that I hear more about Lent.

Curious, I did a little reading up on it. Lent is not just about giving up something. Observing Lent is about drawing closer to Christ, spiritual discipline, and preparing for the Easter celebration of Christ’s resurrection in the same way that celebrating Advent prepares us for Christmas. It keeps our focus off the secularisms and commercial trappings and on our Lord. Lent is meant to bring about repentance and renewal. It’s about reflecting on and grieving over our sins – something we don’t hear about too much anymore. That one got me. Do I grieve over my sins? Elliot Ryan wrote: “Perhaps, after we examine our hearts and lives, we will be led to cry out to God as David did, ‘Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me’ (Psalm 51:9-10).” (My new verses for this week's 52 Challenge)

I know repentance is not an annual thing but something I should practice continuously. However, I think having a season of reflection and self-denial and spending that time and energy we would normally expend gratifying ourselves in prayer instead could be valuable and beneficial. I’ve decided to observe Lent this year and see what God will do.

What about you? Were you taught the observance of Lent while growing up? Or recently? Do you believe observing Lent is a good thing?

Sources and related articles:
Why You Should Celebrate Lent - Elliot Ryan's article
Journey to the Cross - excellent devotionals for the Lent season
What is Lent? - a good explanation of the origin and purpose of Lent

One Hundred and a Handful

image created with "I Am This Many" kit by Amy Stoffel of Scrap Orchard.

This is my 100^th blog post.  TAH-DAH!  I considered hosting a giveaway (legally called a sweepstakes) for you in celebration, but I’ve decided not to even though I LOVE giving presents.  I have determined that for me, the cons outweigh the pros.  Since I blog simply because I like to, and to keep in touch with people in my life, my motivations for hosting a giveaway would mainly be to thank readers and to increase traffic to my microscopic little blog.  THANK YOU!!!  Okay, now I've thanked my readers.  As for increasing traffic to my blog, I wonder what kind of traffic a giveaway would really bring.  My group of readers is very small, just a handful by blogging standards.  Since there is no other incentive, they must read my blog for the content (or because they love me so much).  I think I would like to keep it that way.  I love comments, but I am not interested in “drive by comments” from people who just want to sign up for a freebie and have no interest at all in me or my blog.  If my blog stays little and obscure because of that, I'm OK with it.

I also do not have the money to hire a lawyer or the time to do research to make sure a sweepstakes is legal and to minimize my liability.  The FTC, the IRS, the USPS, the ABC, the 123 and the XYZ all in some fashion regulate sweepstakes, contests, and lotteries on blogs and web sites just as they do elsewhere.  There are about a bazillion laws.   I would have to follow all the sweepstakes laws of every state and country of every participant.  There is a fine line between a sweepstakes and an illegal lottery, even if there is no money charged.  I deeply desire to glorify my Savior through my blog, so I will not take the risk of accidentally breaking the law. 

It has been my prayer that God would bless this blog and He has.  Not with huge numbers of “page views” but in the way He has connected me with people I would never have otherwise come into contact with.  I have been so encouraged by the comments and emails I have received!  It is a huge blessing to hear from someone that something I have shared has touched them and encouraged them or made them laugh.  

A true giveaway is offered to every participant, not just to one whose name is randomly selected.  God loves each of us.  There is no random drawing or luck involved in salvation.  You don't have to hope to win salvation.  You can know you have it.  It is a gift for any who choose to accept by faith.  I will keep sharing with each of you all the “Cool Beans!” stuff in my life - our stories from the mission field and our family, lessons He teaches me, etc.  I will keep praying for each of you and thanking God for you.  To paraphrase a Keith Green song “I’ll just keep doing my best, and pray that it’s blessed, and He’ll take care of the rest!”  In the meantime, I give all of you my gratitude.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile." -- Romans 1:16

"If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." --Romans 10:9

Related articles:

Is Your Giveaway Legal?

Contests and Giveaways - Good Idea or Legal Problem?

Keller and Heckman Law Firm

On Being Jealous of a Cat

page created with "Doodle Pets" kit by Michelle McCoy of Scrapbook MAX!

     A few months ago a half-grown, starving cat wandered to our home.  “Piper” quickly became part of our family.  This week Piper had kittens!  She tried to have her babies on a prom dress that had been given to Emily.  I caught her clawing at it and shut her out of Emily’s room.  She was so determined to use that dress (We girls do like pretty dresses!) that she stood outside Emily’s door for a very long time and went into labor in the hallway so we had to move her. 

     I’m a little bit jealous of Piper right now.  Not because she had five babies in one day OR because she now lives most of her life in a laundry basket.  She’s strong.  She only meowed once through the whole ordeal of birthing five kittens.  My own labors were a teensy bit less serene.  She had her old figure back within 24 hours.  (absolutely NOT FAIR!)   She always seems to know what to do for her babies.  Piper is a good little momma.  She never seems to get upset or angry.  She EVEN looks like she is smiling while she’s laying there in that basket nursing five babies at once for twenty hours out of every day.  Even if she could talk, I don’t think she would complain.  It's not her nature to complain.  Elliot, our other cat, complains enough for both of them anyway.

     Piper instinctively knows what I too often forget: “It’s not about me.” I want to see even the most mundane tasks as golden opportunities to bless and nurture my kids.  I want to be more patient and gentle.  I want to go about the business of managing our home pleasantly, not with grumbling and complaining.  I want to “shine like stars in the universe” as I hold out the word of life to my children and to everyone else around me. 

     I am grateful for God’s mercy and grace when I make mistakes as a mom.  I’m also grateful that I can trust Him to continue transforming me into a more Christ-like person and finish what He has started in me.

My Funny Valentine

What do you do when your turn to bring snacks to Bible study falls on Valentine's Day?  You make cupcakes of course!  A while back I found a rare treat - real cream cheese on sale for a somewhat reasonable price.  I therefore decided to make my first ever red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.  Naturally, in the best interests of the ladies in my Bible study group, I had to test them since this was an untried recipe.  Oh, my, these are good.  Maybe I still have time to make something else to take to Bible study.....

I found the recipe on the internet, here.  I have no idea who she is, but she makes incredible cupcakes.

My Valentine gift this week was so awesome!  To quote a song we used to sing in Brownies when I was a girl, "I am sure you couldn't guess it, if you guessed a long, long while."  Drum roll please.....I got a 12-volt light in my bathroom that runs off a battery!  No more shaving or doing other bathroom stuff in the dark!  Hubby finished installing it and we decided we like it better than the light that runs off the electricity because now we can see both sides of our faces in the mirror!  Ok, it's a strange gift.  But I love it!

I am still working on memorizing Isaiah 41:13 for the 52 Challenge.  I've almost got it.  Next I'm going to learn Psalm 141:3 "Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips." Nuff said about that one.

Incomparably Great Power

Kitchen Aid (Photo credit: John-Morgan)

Have you ever heard the expression "I don't know whether I'm coming or going?"  My mom used to say it when she was either so busy or so tired that she was in a state of confusion.  Her brain couldn't deal with it all anymore.  We joke here that we never know whether the electricity is coming or going, but apparently our western-culture brains really don't know what to do with the randomness of the power outages.  Many times one of the kids has walked into a room where all the lights are obviously on and asked "do we have electricity?"  David has come home from work and found us sitting in the heat with no fans or a/c on because we had gotten so used to not having power that when it WAS on, we didn't think to use it.  I was preparing dinner this week and making dough.  As I worked with the dough and my arms began to get tired I told David that I should have used my KitchenAde.  He remarked that I had said that before and asked why I didn't.  I said I had been used to not having power and didn't think to use it.  Then just yesterday I was washing dishes in the dark and halfway through I realized  I didn't have to do it that way.  I had forgotten that we had power.  It made me wonder how much energy and time I waste struggling in life because I forget that I have access to God's incomparably great power and therefore don't use it.  Far too much, I'm afraid.

"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.  That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come."  Ephesians 1: 18-21

The 52 Challenge

image created with Crisp Linens kit by Kathy Woolery of Scrapbook Max!

This week is topsy turvy. I am homeschooling a couple of extra children this week, beginning yesterday, so I went to the orphanage Monday instead of my usual Friday in order to give them a consistent schedule. We took a few toys with us and when the staff saw them they brought out more toys from storage so there would be plenty to go around. We had one of those "See and Say" toys where you pull the handle and it makes animal sounds to match the pictures. The kids liked that but they were more interested in their discovery that the holes on the back where the toy was screwed together were just the right size for all their used lollipop sticks. Sort of like tinker toys. As always we had fun. I was mostly over my illness but still fatigued and those giggles were good medicine!

We are grateful no one else in the family caught my illness! Please pray for our electricity. Once again the electric company has simply cut the line to our street altogether because they didn't want to come out and fix the problem. We have friends trying to help but don't know how long it will take. It can vary here from a few hours to several weeks.

I found a blog this weekend that began a challenge in January to memorize a Bible verse each week for a year. I know it's February but the author encouraged readers to join the challenge any time and just continue until we learn 52 verses. So who is up for a challenge? Check out The 52 Challenge.  I am going to begin with this one:

Isaiah 41:13 - "For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, 'Do not fear; I will help you.'"

I love the image this verse gives of God taking hold of my hand.  As a parent, I remember taking the hands of my children when they were little to help them navigate without falling if the pavement was rough, to keep them from straying into dangers like traffic or crowds, and to make them feel secure.  When I tell my kids not to be afraid and that I will help them, it is because I mean it.  I am watching out for them and protecting them and I desire for them to trust me.  I can picture God telling me "I've got this," and taking my hand to guide me and keep me from stumbling, whether through my dark house and neighborhood because the power is out, or through the darkness, chaos and oppression of this crazy world we live in.  And I'm reminded that when He tells me not to fear, it is because He will help me.  He's in control.  He's holding my hand, and He's "got my back."

A Sick Day With Sabine

Image via Wikipedia

I was really looking forward to today when I went to bed last night.  I had plans.  I had an agenda.  I was going to get things done!  Laundry.  Start Daniel’s quilt.  Write something worth reading on my blog (maybe next time, sorry).   Some of the older orphans were going to come to TASOK (Emily’s school) this weekend and our youth group/parents were invited to come and help out with activities.  I thought “this is great!  I can’t go to the kids this week so God is bringing the kids to me!”  We have a family on our team newly returned from furlough.  They’ve been here almost a week and we haven’t been able to see them yet so I made plans to stay at TASOK after the kids went back to the orphanage, take my family to the pool, and invite our friends to join us for some fun and some catching up time.  Another family is having a get-together tonight that I was looking forward to.  Then I woke up sick.  Bleh.  My tonsils are torturing me.  So my plans are dashed.  I guess in hindsight, it is a good thing I was not able to go to Kimbondo on Friday as originally planned.  I might have been contagious with whatever this is and passed it on to the little ones.  I know what it is like when illness comes to our house and goes through the family one or two of us at a time.  I can’t imagine it on a scale of hundreds of kids.

Image via Wikipedia

The bright side of being sick is that I get to rest.  Staying in bed meant I had some time to read for leisure.  It wasn’t for Bible study or a class or to help a child with school work.  It’s not that I don’t enjoy doing my Bible studies, learning new things, and helping my kids, but leisure reading is something I thoroughly enjoy and seldom do.  I don’t know if  I am really that much busier or if I am just that much older, but if I sit down in the evening and pick up a book I more often than not fall asleep.  Browsing through our Nook library to see if I could find something of interest, I stopped at The Pennycomequicks (love that title!).  It was written in 1896 by Sabine Baring-Gould.  That's him  there in the photo.  In addition to novels he also wrote hymns, folklore, and was a hagiographer.  I had to look that up, so here it is.  A hagiographer is a person who writes about the lives of the saints, particularly the early Christian church.  Neat word.  It would be fun to go up to someone and say that I enjoy hagiographies just to see their response.  We have lots of old and obscure books in the Nook for a couple of reasons.  One: most books written before the 1920’s are in the public domain and therefore FREE copies are easily found on the internet.  Two: I love old books as much as new ones.  I like the words you can find only in books that were written before 1900.  For example, apoplexy, hitherto, remonstrate, pertinacious, and impecunious are wonderful words that no one uses nowadays - unless you are my youngest son.  I recently heard him use the word "shan't."  If you like books from the Romance era (Jane Austin) or the Victorian Era (Bronte sisters) you might enjoy something by Sabine Baring-Gould or Anthony Trollope, two authors I discovered after we bought our Nook and I began to look through the lists of freebies.  

Lost in Translation: Picture This

No trip to the orphanage this week.  My "driver" is out of town.  I'm still spending my week with kids, though.  I have a missionary friend who is going to the U.S. next week for a month.  Her husband and kids are staying here so this week Daniel and I are taking school to their house to get acquainted with the way she does school with her daughter.  The plan is for me to be her teacher while her mom is gone.  Yesterday went well.  It helps that Daniel is a good reader, has a cooperative spirit, and doesn't mind doing some of his work independently.

The MAF blog is now featuring a weekly posting about raising kids on the mission field, called Moms on a Mission.  This week spotlights one of my recent posts Daniel's Bottle Bucket Battle.  You can check out the MAF blog HERE.

Sometimes we see things here that strike us funny either because their intended meaning was "lost in translation" or because they mean different things in different cultures. Living in a third world culture can affect one's sense of humor.  Our family's sense of humor was already weird to being with, but I hope you enjoy these.  Some of these photos were taken from a moving vehicle and/or with a cheap phone camera because taking photos here can invite trouble, so please excuse the poor quality.

Sometimes the folks who stock the shelves in the stores don't know what an item is so they make a guess about where it ought to be placed. Here the Odor Eaters foot spray is shelved between the bug spray and the rat poison. Our guess is that it was because the can says it "kills odors" and someone recognized the word "kills."

Everyone likes to drink "mildew,"right? This is actually coffee and it wasn't too bad, but the name just doesn't sound very appealing to those of us who speak English.

This is not where all the expats go to exchange their money.  It's actually a new grocery store that the owner named after his wife Monique.

Another good food with a not-so-appealing name.  This is not a cough inducer or a cough suppressant.  It's applesauce.

We love the name of this store that we pass on our way to and from the orphanage.  If I said to someone in the states, "I'm going to Fanny Wax," this is probably not what they would imagine.   "Wax" in Congo refers to the way local fabrics are made. This is actually a store that sells fabric and clothing.

Praying the Bible

I am crazy about books.  One of the most difficult aspects of packing to serve in Africa was condensing our whole life, all our possessions for a family of five, to nine plastic SmartBins from Walmart.  That meant parting ways with my books.  My adoring husband bought a NOOK so I could have plenty of reading material.   I like our NOOK, but it isn’t quiet the same for me.  I’m one of those weird people for whom books are an experience, not just words on pages.  I love the smell of a new book and the way a book feels in my hands.  Book stores rank right up there with fabric stores as my favorite places to visit – maybe higher since they usually also sell coffee.  I imagine I get the same dreamy look on my face in a book store that I have seen on my husband’s face when he shops for tools.  Book stores = bliss!

I did bring some of my books with me.  One that I treasure and use almost daily is “Praying the Bible for Your Children” by David and Heather Kopp.  I found it several years ago in a stack of “remainders” on the $3.00 shelf at an outlet store and picked it up out of curiosity.  Actually I picked up nearly all of the books because I just had to look at and touch all of them, but I put most of them back.  This little $3 treasure changed the way I pray for my kids and for others.  Each page is a prayer based on a promise from God’s Word and the book covers everything from pacifiers to sexual purity.  I learned that praying from Scripture helps me pray in God’s will, focus on His character and see beyond just the immediate and physical needs, and pray with purpose instead of  praying for the “same old things.”  And I’ve learned to “pray outside the book” and use other scriptures as I find them on my own.  I like to mark them in my Bible with the kids’ names and dates so when I come across them again, I can reflect on how God has answered those prayers.  Sometimes I tell my kids I’ve prayed a certain scripture for them if I think it will encourage them, but more often it is between me and God.  Today the prayer focus in the book was “speaking well of others” and one of the passages used is Titus 3:1-2.  When I looked up the passage in my Bible I saw that in addition to “slander no  one,” there are lots of other character traits mentioned which I prayed and asked God to develop in my children. 

You might be tired of reading about the orphanage, but I have to mention my last trip out there because it was so different.  I really considered staying home last week since I was having such an emotional week but I'm glad I didn't.  They had toys!  Someone had brought them dolls, trucks and dinosaurs.  I got to play cars and dolls with them.  In one sense it was sad because they didn't seem to know how to pretend or make car noises or make the dolls "talk".  So, I showed them.  They thought it was hilarious to see the "mundele" (white person) making car noises and horn beeps and lined up to make me "run" each of their cars in turn.  Eventually they started imitating me and then it was my turn to laugh.  We had a lot of fun and it was very good for me - a gift from God - to hear all those giggles.  One sweet girl crawled into my lap and fell asleep but not before she gave me multiple hugs and beamed at me with her beautiful smile.  Pray for those kids.  They are so precious.  Pray that they will one day understand the incredible depth of God's love for them and come to know Him (Ephesians chapter 3).

A Sad Goodbye and a Lesson in Congolese Culture

My grandmother with my grandfather, Josh and Emily (top rt) and Daniel

Here is sort of a wrap up of the last several days.

Daniel got his stitches out!  We are grateful he had no infection or complications.  Being a ten year old boy, he's not the least bit upset about having a new scar - he thinks it's cool.  He is however, disappointed that he gets to take baths again.

Emily made 1st semester honor roll!  This was for her first semester outside of a home school environment, so we are very proud of her for doing well in her studies while she was also dealing with the adjustment to a new school, friends being gone on furlough, her brother leaving home, and starting the school year with her mom out of country having surgery.  She's a real trooper!

Josh is playing his guitar now in worship time at the Baptist Student Union on campus, sharing his faith with others, playing rugby, and hopefully studying.

David has been trying to accomplish the impossible task of having no toilets or faucets leaking anywhere in the house for a whole day.  The plumbing supplies here are of very inferior quality and break almost as quickly as they are installed.

I am working on our next newsletter.  Well, ok, I'm thinking about working on our next newsletter.

MAF featured one of my articles on their BLOG.

Recently, I wrote about having friends whose father was near death and my grandmother being in hospice.  Both of them passed away just days ago.  I am heartbroken over the loss of my grandmother and the fact that I cannot be there with my relatives right now.  She was a very special lady, strong, faithful, and compassionate.  We'll all miss her terribly.  I do find it comforting to know she is now in heaven with her Savior and we will have a reunion one day.

We attended our first funeral here in Congo on Sunday.  I can well imagine what my grandmother's funeral might be like, at least in general.  Most funerals in America have certain similarities because of our common culture, plus I know my family.  It is the same here, except that the culture is vastly different.  Here are just some of the differences that I noticed:

* The funeral was outdoors in a concrete gymnasium in 90 degree weather.
* Instead of padded church pews we sat under awnings on plastic lawn chairs.
* There was another funeral in progress on one side of us, and a church service on another side, both of which had live bands and PA systems competing with our service.
* Men in rolled up jeans, flip flops, and ragged t-shirts were walking around selling soft drinks and water, which they carried on their heads in bags of ice.
* There was a rooster crowing every few minutes.
* There were at least four languages spoken: English, French, Kikongo and Lingala.
* The family was expected to feed everyone.  In Congo no one brings food to the family or offers assistance.  They do bring money.
* The services lasted several hours.  We were there for four and missed the burial service.
* There was a man wearing a sandwich board walking around selling Polaroid-style photos of the service, during, not after, the service.
* None of the flowers were real and all of them were wrapped in plastic.  Instead of being displayed in advance of people's arrivals, they were presented to the deceased in a processional by the donors near the end of the service.  It is the family's responsibility to ensure that there will be some flowers at the funeral, but anyone can give flowers.  They are gifts to the deceased, not the family, and they are buried with the deceased, but first they are torn off their frames to prevent them from being dug up and sold by thieves. (A note: Grave robbing is so common here that often the casket is smashed to make it unsellable and less likely to be stolen.  Grave markers are also intentionally damaged to ensure that they aren't stolen, painted over and resold.)

I'm sure there are other differences I didn't notice because there was a lot to take in.  It was indeed very different from my own culture.

Hands in the Air!

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     We say so much with our hands without even thinking about doing it.  Remember the popular exression several years ago "talk to the hand?"  We use our hands to give and receive, to say "come" or "go", to show our intents and feelings.  At our church here in Congo, people extend open hands during the benediction as if to be accepting God's blessing.  When a child raises his hands up to his parents, he is saying "I want you. I trust you.  Pick me up!"  We raise our hands to show excitement when cheering for our favorite team.  At amusement parks some people on the rides have their hands in the air and smiles on their faces.  Others, not so much.
     It isn't hard to compare real life with a roller coaster ride.  Both can be terrifying, taking sudden unexpected changes in direction and going way too quickly for us to take it all in.  You can't always see what's ahead and sometimes it turns everything upside down.  On the other hand (no pun intended), both can also be a thrilling wind-in-the-face experience that leaves us laughing and saying "That was an awesome ride!"  Some of us ride roller coasters with our hands in the lap bar, white-knuckled and tense, dreading the ride.  Some though, anticipate a great ride and say to everyone else on the roller coaster:  "It's more fun if you ride with your hands in the air!"  They trust the safety straps to keep them in the right place and protect them.  If my walk with God were a roller coaster ride, I'd want to be a person that anticipates a great ride, knowing no matter which way it turns or how many loops it takes me through, He is there.  I want to ride reaching to Him in trust and ready to receive his blessings, and to let my companions know that it is more fun if you ride with your hands in the air.

     "Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.  I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands." Psalm 63:3-4

Gifts From God for Right Now

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This is a crazy week.  It's a good week for realizing how valuable relationships are.  I have dear friends here whose 92 year old father is probably not going to live much longer.  His loss will be felt deeply by the Congolese community as well as the missions community.  Yet in the midst of all this they are continuing to focus on and serve others.  This week my own grandmother, also 92, was admitted to hospice.  Every day I deal with the conflicting emotions of being anxious to check my email and hear from my family in the U.S. and dreading what I may find when I do.  My daughter learned yesterday that two of her dearest friends are leaving very soon, and she is heartbroken over it.  All of us experience losses and grief.    Sometimes I instinctively want to hide in my bed and refuse to deal with anyone or anything, even my friends and family.  When we lose someone who is a vital part of our life, nothing is ever the same again, but the ones we still have with us are gifts from God for right now.  Right now He is with me.  Right now my family needs me.  Right now I am preparing to have NEW friends come for dinner and fellowship before their long journey home.  Right now there are people who are important to me whom I can serve, pray for, and love.  And equally important is the fact that they want to do the same for me.   It's OK to take some time alone, I think.  But if I withdraw from those who care about me, including my Savior, when I am hurt, I am shunning the very thing I need most.

Daniel's Bottle Bucket Battle

   Raising children in a developing nation is risky, albeit adventurous.  I knew that before we came, but it isn't something one tends to think about until an event occurs which gives you a startling reminder.  Saturday evening, Daniel dropped a bottle of Coke and it shattered.  Several shards nicked his feet and legs, but one larger piece of glass bounced off the floor and cut his leg pretty deeply.  We could see his bone.  Our first thought was to call a missionary we know who is a nurse, only to discover she had gone to the interior and couldn't be reached.  We had no choice but to take him to a clinic here and hope for the best. Traffic was terrible.  Sometimes when we are driving here I am reminded of a Discovery Toys Rush Hour game my kids used to have with a bunch of cars and trucks, all facing different directions, touching one another and unable to move.  Add loud honking, dozens of pedestrians weaving in and out the best they can, a complete lack of street lights, people shouting, and exhaust fumes and that's what it looked like Saturday evening.  Daniel was bleeding a lot and I had him in the back seat with his leg propped up while I held the wound shut,  and while we were stuck in traffic, his leg just spontaneously stopped bleeding and didn't bleed again until he was safe in the clinic being examined. (We didn't know it yet, but thanks to Emily and Facebook, lots and lots of friends were already praying for Daniel and God was answering!) Finally a hole just big enough to turn our jeep around opened up and we retraced our steps and went "the back way" to the clinic.  There was a nurse outside the clinic who took one look at David carrying Daniel with his bloody legs and feet and took charge, opening doors and escorting us past triage and reception, straight to the exam room.  By the time I walked up to the reception desk to let them know Daniel was there and give them our names and address, he had been seen by the doctor, had his wound cleaned, and was waiting for stitches.  While they were very careful to use sterile instruments and keep the wound clean, there were definite points of observation that reminded us we weren't in the U.S.
     * the language barrier - They kept asking us questions in Lingala, then switching to French, and in our stress we had some difficulty thinking in French.
     * the insects on the walls
     * the stack of grotesquely filthy leg and arm braces in the corner, presumably waiting to be reused
     * no bright red bio-hazard box - the needles they used to give Lidocaine to Daniel were new and sterile, but once used they just went into the garbage bag with all the other bloody gauze and trash
     * the mercurochrome - they used lots of it on all of Daniel's smaller cuts, even on his old bug bites.  He has big pink spots all over his legs, front and back.  They were so generous with it I started to wonder if we were getting charged by the ounce (that's a joke, folks).  Though I remember mercurachrome from my childhood, I'm pretty sure it is not used in the U.S. any more because it actually contains mercury.  Nice.
     * I had 8 stitches in each incision when I had my foot surgery.  Daniels wound was about the same width, possibly wider, and he got four.  We got some steri-strips from a friend to "close the gaps."
     * no follow up instructions regarding things like when he can bathe, how long to leave the stitches in, etc.  We know we have to keep it clean and dry.  We have plenty of missionary friends here who are in the medical field so we'll rely on them for help and guidance.

     While God was showing Himself to us; getting us through traffic, getting rapid treatment for Daniel, and keeping him from losing too much blood, keeping him amazingly calm, He also showed Himself to Emily that night.  As we were leaving the house for the clinic, I asked Emily to get on the internet and tell our friends to pray because Daniel was bleeding a lot and I knew traffic would be bad and I didn't know what type of care we would get at the clinic.   As soon as they heard, a couple on our team, the Freys, dropped everything and came to be with Emily.  Instead of finding an anxious daughter when we arrived home, we found Emily, Jocelyn, and Nick watching a movie together.  The glass, soda and blood were all cleaned up.  They had brought their supper with them and fed Emily and even had a cupcake waiting for Daniel.  I am so grateful that in this challenging place God has given us friends whose value can't be measured.  We had other friends who were praying for us, helping us with medical advice, giving us antibiotics from their own supplies because the pharmacies were closed, even offering to come get us and take us to the clinic.

    As we were preparing to leave the clinic, Daniel said "well now I can mark that off my bucket list."  We asked him if he seriously had getting hurt and receiving medical treatment in a third world clinic on his bucket list and he said "yes, I did."  What kind of ten year old has a bucket list?  And what kind of ten year old has THAT on his list?  When I asked Daniel's big brother those questions his reply was "a cool one!"  I tend to agree with both Josh and with another friend who said we need to talk to Daniel about working on a safer bucket list.

It Matters To Them

     Friday, Myndii went with us to the orphanage in Kimbondo. It was our first trip back since the elections and I really missed the kids. They must have missed us too because we received a very enthusiastic welcome. There is a definite language barrier sometimes because the little ones that haven't been to school yet only speak Lingala and I only speak Frenglish, but they don't care. Some things are universal: smiles, hugs, silly faces, singing.
     In the building where the babies are kept we found this little one.

She was extremely thin and about the size of a six month old baby, but is apparently much older because she has almost all of her teeth, including molars. Her skin just hung on her. I was afraid to even try to pick her up at first, but I got to hold her for a good long while and pray for her. There were several other little ones in the room, all tiny for their ages and all much more frail than the other kids in the orphanage. When the doctor came in, I asked him if those children were sick. He explained that they have over 200 children with AIDS. I'm not sure if he meant that all those babies have AIDS or not. It was while we were in this room that another worker told us that one of the other children had died just that morning. He had severe hydrocephaly that had worsened since I met him last summer to the point where he was bed-ridden. They had made arrangements for him to be flown out of country for surgery but he didn't make it. Had he been able to stand on his own, I think he would not have been as tall as my ten year old. He had to be suffering, but every time I saw him, he had a smile for me. It is heartbreaking that he died, but I know he is with Jesus and will not have any more reasons to cry, ever. I am grateful that of all the orphanages here, he was placed in this one, because I have heard so many horror stories about the others.
     Someone recently asked me what I do when I go to the orphanage. I lamely offered that sometimes I help with dressing the kids after a bath or feeding babies but I mostly just hold babies and play with kids. It didn't sound all that important to me. I thought about all the needs there and my contribution seemed small indeed. But somehow God keeps prompting me to return and give more hugs and kiss more little heads and so I keep going. When I see their little faces light up and hear their giggles, I know it matters to them that I came.

So I've learned that if you can smile...

                                   if you have a lap...or just really strange hair...

                                                          if you can play...

                                                          you can make a difference.